Abstract Background Ibrutinib has revolutionized the treatment of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). Both ibrutinib monotherapy and ibrutinib‐based combination therapy are important salvage options for patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) MCL. The real‐world efficacy and safety profile of the two strategies in Chinese patients with R/R MCL remain unclarified. Methods In the present study, data of 121 R/R MCL patients who received either ibrutinib monotherapy (N = 68) or ibrutinib combination therapy (N = 53) in 13 medical centers in China were retrospectively reviewed. Results With a median follow‐up of 20.5 months, the overall response rate was 60.3% versus 84.9% (p = 0.003), complete remission rate was 16.2% versus 43.4% (p